Top 15 Alphonse Daudet Quotes

Men grow old, but they do not ripen.

Les hommes vieillissent, mais ne mûrissent pas.

At fifteen years, twenty at most, one has "come from the press".

A quinze ans, vingt ans tout au plus, on est déjà achevé d'imprimer.

How many men with libraries over which one might write "For external use", as on druggists' labels.

Que de gens à bibliothèques sur la bibliothèque desquels on pourrait écrire: "Usage externe!" comme sur les fioles de pharmacie.

The epithet should be the mistress of the substantive, never its lawful wife.

L'épithète doit être la maîtresse du substantif, jamais sa femme légitime.

Where would be the merit if heroes were never afraid?

Où serait le mérite, si les héros n’avaient jamais peur?

You will see that the only liar in the Midi, if there is one, is the sun; everything that he touches he exaggerates.

Le seul menteur du Midi, s'il y en a un, c'est le soleil. Tout ce qu'il touche, il l'exagère!

The man of the Midi does not lie, he deceives himself. He does not always speak the truth but he believes he speaks it.

L'homme du Midi ne ment pas, il se trompe. Il ne dit pas toujours la vérité, mais il croit la dire.

That's fame: just a cigar with the hot end and ash in your mouth.